


She Doesn't Hate Her

by timeheist



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-14
Updated: 2013-02-14
Packaged: 2017-11-29 07:20:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/684343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timeheist/pseuds/timeheist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At least Sokka had managed to tell her that he loved her; all Zura had done was tell Mai that she didn’t hate her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	She Doesn't Hate Her

**Author's Note:**

> This is such a late gift for a RL friend that it's a little embarrassing. So sorry, Aine! Anyway, I've not seen Avatar for over a year so I hope the characterisation/episode plots are more or less alright. The prompt was fem!Zuko/Mai, which was certainly interesting. I am so sorry for the angst... it kinda happens with Zuko/Zura, I think.

Zura had done a lot of things wrong in her life, but not managing to save Mai when she had put her neck on the line to help him, the Avatar, and the rest of the gang was perhaps one of the lowest.

She’d always had feelings for Mai. Even when they were children, and she – with Azula – had done nothing but deride her, she’d been nicer, somehow. As though her mockery, and even worse, ignoring her was somehow because she liked him, and not hated her. She remembered her mother saying that was what girls did, and stubbornly arguing that it wasn’t what she did. Why should it be what the others did? But it happened, and Zura had found herself falling head over heels for the stern, gorgeous Mai as they’d both come into womanhood, and had finally found the guts to ask her out, when she’d been chasing Aang. And then she’d gone and blown it all by leaving to chase the Avatar with nothing but a note. Damn her pride.

She’d not known how much it had hurt Mai until now, and now, of course, like all things in Zura’s life, it was too late. Fighting her sister, she’d looked over her shoulder to see Mai pinning the guards to the wall, buying them time. And then, a second before they all fell to their death, she’d stopped the guards, let them escape. Zura had one last glimpse of his ex, and Azura’s furious, threatening face before they swung away and the guards moved in. She’d wanted to jump out, jump and help her, but what choice did she have? She’d sworn to help Aang and pay for her sins and… Mai was strong. The problem was that Azula was stronger.

It was Sokka, in the end, who worked out why Zura was quiet for so long. Apparently his last girlfriend, before Suki, had turned into the moon. It wasn’t quite the same thing – like, she wasn’t most likely going to be killed or tortured by Katara, or whatever Azula would do to her, for one thing – but the sentiment was there, and something for them to bond over. They’d both lost someone that they loved and felt utterly powerless. At least Sokka had managed to tell her that he loved her; all Zura had done was tell Mai that she didn’t hate her. She only hoped Mai knew her well enough to know how much that meant.

Katara more or less told Zura to stop feeling sorry for herself, Toph much the same, and Aang at least had the good nature to offer to let her shoot fireballs at him if it would cheer her up… It almost did. And time would help. Her uncle had told her as much; be patient, be like a candle on a calm sea, not dying out until it’s time. Azula wouldn’t kill her friends, surely, and every day Team Avatar worked towards beating Azula, beating Zura’s father, and saving the world. The world most certainly included Mai. And next time Zura had a chance to do right by her, she would. Even if it killed her.

Because if not hating someone wasn’t a sign, then she didn’t know what was.


End file.
